I'll be interested to see what your results are. I have 310W of solar panels that I can point at the sun, and I find that during a week of camping, if I have 2 rainy days, the panels can't catch up to the power taken out of the batteries. I don't even have an inverter to gobble up power. I love your camper mod videos. Keep 'em coming.
You could make an acrylic cover to allow Sun to power and protect, or have a canvas cover made to protect that panel from Hail or extremely constipated flying objects!
That's pretty awesome, I sometimes wondered if you avoided boondocking for a reason, duh lol. My new pop up is coming with solar and we're super excited to be camping off grid in Colorado this year. Looking forward to your future videos to see how it works for ya.
the panel cannot be 1200W - it's probably the inverter's characteristic. modern solar panels can provide up to 20W per square foot in the ideal conditions (spotless panel at 50ºF square to the Sun on equator, at noon, with no clouds), that would make your 1200W panel 60 sq.ft. which it obviously isn't. I'd guess your panel is about 100-150W, which should be enough to run a small fridge.
@@shortfuse43 I mean, the batteries are just a buffer, if they are discharged at the rate higher than that provided by the panel, they'll eventually run flat and the inverter would shut down. so Adam would need to keep the constant power consumption (i.e. the fridge) at what the panels can provide, considering the daylight and the weather.
It's 32 cells so it's about 15V, 10A. About 150W. But it looks like all the people online selling these kind of kits are rating them by the inverter power not the PV power. Home systems are rated the opposite.
@AbomAdventures thanks for sharing. I have a smaller Kodiak that I'm planning on installing solar panels on. Any idea where they got those cross members? I emailed Carpenters and they don't seem to know about them. Maybe they just made them at the time.
Adam, Here's a project. How about a sheet of aluminum about .100" to .125" thick cut to size with vinyl upholstery material glued to one or both sides to cover the solar panel in case of storms. You could probably bungee it on or fab some clips to hold it on prior to the storm rolling in. You would have to be careful to not cut your rubber roof when you're installing or removing it so the vinyl padding and rounded corners would probably be a must. Just a thought.
Nice! Still say a guy needs a boat (especially in your part of the world.) 25 or 30 foot cruiser you and Abby could anchor out in the bay and just live large. Love everything y'all do.
The largest RV solar panel I’ve ever seen is 400 watts I’ve never seen or heard of a single panel that will provide 1200 watts for a single panel, is this correct? Earthroamer provides a lot of solar to run the entire rig including the AC and it has 1320 watts with multiple panels
Did I understand correctly that you said that's a 1,200-watt panel? And I believe your furnace would run without the inverter, but the blower motor it does drain the batteries pretty significantly. The furnaces ran off the batteries in all of the 5 RV's that I've had.
It’s a 1,200 watt system. The service manager just warned me that if run the furnace a lot it will use a lot of the battery power. It shouldn’t be an issue though.
That panel is NOT 1200W...they don't exist. It's a 1200W system, but that doesn't mean that PANEL is 1200W...I believe 400~415W is the "biggest" panel currently available. I'm currently researching solar and I need 30 panels to run my home at the highest currently available power...that's 12Kw...Do I NEED 12Kw? yes, running the AC and our electric ovens will eat up over 7Kw...and the panels will only hit that 12Kw during "high noon". Before and After it will be much less.
Home systems are rated by the solar panel max power but those portable systems all seem to be rated by inverter power. That little panel will charge enough to run some lights at night but nothing big.
Need some protection for the inverter and control panel from cargo movement, some flat bar would do the job. Any hail that damages the solar panel will cause damage to the trailer and your vehicle, just add it to your insurance claim if it happens.
Good old Anthrax invertors, wonderful piece of crap. Had MANY issues with them including my own set-up. Lost $7000 because of their product so went to Magnum instead. The GoPower regulator is a great controller for that system & is rated for 25 amps so your panel is no more than 150 watts maximum. The system is rated for 1200 Watts AC or about 10 amps with pass through capability. I did not see a DC safety device in there so I would suggest either a 150 amp breaker or a class T fuse on the positive DC supply. If you decide to upgrade, go to an invertor/charger so you can charge when plugged in to shore power.
1200 w solar panel? Instead of my 18x330w solar panels on my roof (6.6kw solar system cost 2999$ aud) I could have gotten away with approximately 6 of your panels damn it On the back of my house I have 2x190w solar running into 2x470amp/h agm batteries hooked up to be 24v Then I have a 2kw Inverter Did the company explain to you Adam about the efficiency of 24v over 12v and at least AGM batteries over lead acid? Are the batteries at least deep cycle? You will be lucky to start and boil an electric kettle What is the start up power for your fridge Before you go anywhere Adam that you will rely upon the system PLEASE dry run everything at home without the genny or your shed power point You have a big roof on that caravan..... Please go and check out DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse He is easy to understand and has a LOT OF good info on all things solar and batteries. Tony from Western Australia 🇦🇺
@@PhilG999 they didn't state that. a lead acid battery is a lead acid battery no matter how it us made.. lithium battery will provide about 90% more amp hours than a lead acid battery will for the same space.
@@Fairchildflyer I guess I was thinking Optima Yellow tops that I've used for years. Running telescopes and laptops in a couple of my cars and so on. Have to look into Lithium's because one 2005 Grand Prix GT2 still has a GM OE battery (its second one) that has been in it for 11 years. ;)
Stop deleting my comments wth what I'm saying is true I have built lots of these systems . more like a 150 watt system. you can only dischage deep cycle lead acid batterys to like 70-50%max or you will damage them. plus that pannel is only 150 watts id bet. they are decieving on the 1200 rating thats just the inverter rating. i doubt its even te battery capacity what do you have 2 100ah deep cycles?
Hey Baloney, Calm down man! I made a mistake, it happens! No the panel is not rated at 1,200 watts. It is rated at 190watts though. I'm not an expert on electrical systems, I'm simply trying to share the mods and improvements we make. What's the point is trying to downgrade the system components of are particular solar kit? The lead acid batteries will work just fine for our needs and I am more then aware of the available upgrade using lithium iron batteries. Give someone a chance to even use the stuff before suggesting that the components will not work and the "you need to" comments are thrown around. I'll be adding the links to the kit in the video soon, I was trying to verify the correct kit before I do.
Great addition to the Kodiak. Long may the adventures continue.
Thanks for promoting the Florida Flywheelers Antique Engine Club, inc
I’ll have a short video on my Abom79 channel to announce the meet up pretty soon.
@@AbomAdventures Thanks
Roughing it is the best way to camp. #1 reason no other people around 9 out of 10 times. Quiet times.🤫👍
Good luck with the small solar panel. It should keep the batters charged for the inverter to work for a little while.
Need more solar panels.
So nice to read comments like this...
@@AbomAdventures get used to it and check your attitude buddy
We recently added a 500Ah battery to our camping rig. It can’t run everything we need, but it’ll keep phones and internet up for a good long while.
I'll be interested to see what your results are. I have 310W of solar panels that I can point at the sun, and I find that during a week of camping, if I have 2 rainy days, the panels can't catch up to the power taken out of the batteries. I don't even have an inverter to gobble up power. I love your camper mod videos. Keep 'em coming.
Nice Adam. good luck
You could make an acrylic cover to allow Sun to power and protect, or have a canvas cover made to protect that panel from Hail or extremely constipated flying objects!
funny comment, you make me laugh ThkYu
That's pretty awesome, I sometimes wondered if you avoided boondocking for a reason, duh lol. My new pop up is coming with solar and we're super excited to be camping off grid in Colorado this year. Looking forward to your future videos to see how it works for ya.
Great information and great video
Yes, zip tie the wires coming out from the bottom of solar panels. From the video it looks like it will rub on the panel mounting bracket.
Like the Solar thanks for sharing
the panel cannot be 1200W - it's probably the inverter's characteristic. modern solar panels can provide up to 20W per square foot in the ideal conditions (spotless panel at 50ºF square to the Sun on equator, at noon, with no clouds), that would make your 1200W panel 60 sq.ft. which it obviously isn't. I'd guess your panel is about 100-150W, which should be enough to run a small fridge.
The batteries provide power to the inverter, not the panels. They merely charge the batteries.
@@shortfuse43 I have never said the opposite, have I?
@@shortfuse43 I mean, the batteries are just a buffer, if they are discharged at the rate higher than that provided by the panel, they'll eventually run flat and the inverter would shut down. so Adam would need to keep the constant power consumption (i.e. the fridge) at what the panels can provide, considering the daylight and the weather.
It's 32 cells so it's about 15V, 10A. About 150W. But it looks like all the people online selling these kind of kits are rating them by the inverter power not the PV power. Home systems are rated the opposite.
The solar panel itself is rated at 190 watts.
@AbomAdventures thanks for sharing. I have a smaller Kodiak that I'm planning on installing solar panels on. Any idea where they got those cross members? I emailed Carpenters and they don't seem to know about them. Maybe they just made them at the time.
Adam are you sure that solar panel is 1200 watts?
I respect you not wanting to use the generator. But everyone else will by running full blast.
Might have missed it, but what was the cost for supplies and install? Have you found this system meets most of your needs when camping? Thanks!
Adam,
Here's a project. How about a sheet of aluminum about .100" to .125" thick cut to size with vinyl upholstery material glued to one or both sides to cover the solar panel in case of storms. You could probably bungee it on or fab some clips to hold it on prior to the storm rolling in. You would have to be careful to not cut your rubber roof when you're installing or removing it so the vinyl padding and rounded corners would probably be a must. Just a thought.
Solar is coming to a point that a few panels can power a rig on its own just like your tied into the grid
If you don't use A/C or your microwave.
Great to see you all
Brodda.... How did the solar install do in your trip?
Outstanding
Make a cover for the panel (when not being used like during storms, etc.).
Nice! Still say a guy needs a boat (especially in your part of the world.) 25 or 30 foot cruiser you and Abby could anchor out in the bay and just live large. Love everything y'all do.
No boats for me, unless it’s a small little river boat. I’ve owned a large Four Winns before and I have no interested in owning another one.
@@AbomAdventures A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into. Break Out Another Thousand.
How much did this system cost? Thank you
Great addition!
Great install Adam 👏👏👏👍🇬🇧🍺🍺
You'll be adding a couple hundred amp hours of lithium batteries real soon.
One step at a time
The largest RV solar panel I’ve ever seen is 400 watts I’ve never seen or heard of a single panel that will provide 1200 watts for a single panel, is this correct? Earthroamer provides a lot of solar to run the entire rig including the AC and it has 1320 watts with multiple panels
Did you get your tire and axle issue fully taken care of?
Yes, in fact I plan to share a video of that soon.
Did I understand correctly that you said that's a 1,200-watt panel? And I believe your furnace would run without the inverter, but the blower motor it does drain the batteries pretty significantly. The furnaces ran off the batteries in all of the 5 RV's that I've had.
It’s a 1,200 watt system. The service manager just warned me that if run the furnace a lot it will use a lot of the battery power. It shouldn’t be an issue though.
That panel is NOT 1200W...they don't exist. It's a 1200W system, but that doesn't mean that PANEL is 1200W...I believe 400~415W is the "biggest" panel currently available. I'm currently researching solar and I need 30 panels to run my home at the highest currently available power...that's 12Kw...Do I NEED 12Kw? yes, running the AC and our electric ovens will eat up over 7Kw...and the panels will only hit that 12Kw during "high noon". Before and After it will be much less.
The inverter is rated for 1,200 watts, the panel is rated at 190 watts.
Pretty sure that was a 120 watt solar panel not a 1200 watt. Thanks for sharing!
It’s a 1,200 watt system, unless the service manager is lying to me. Even my book says 1,200 watts.
@@AbomAdventures It's a 190 watt panel and 1,200 watt inverter.
Home systems are rated by the solar panel max power but those portable systems all seem to be rated by inverter power. That little panel will charge enough to run some lights at night but nothing big.
It's obvious I misspoke in the video. The inverter is rated for 1,200 watts. the panel itself is rated at 190 watts according to Go Power.
Adam, if more solar power is required, you could get folding panels, and use them as necessary. HF sells them.
Looks good 👍🇺🇲
Need some protection for the inverter and control panel from cargo movement, some flat bar would do the job.
Any hail that damages the solar panel will cause damage to the trailer and your vehicle, just add it to your insurance claim if it happens.
Good old Anthrax invertors, wonderful piece of crap. Had MANY issues with them including my own set-up. Lost $7000 because of their product so went to Magnum instead. The GoPower regulator is a great controller for that system & is rated for 25 amps so your panel is no more than 150 watts maximum. The system is rated for 1200 Watts AC or about 10 amps with pass through capability. I did not see a DC safety device in there so I would suggest either a 150 amp breaker or a class T fuse on the positive DC supply. If you decide to upgrade, go to an invertor/charger so you can charge when plugged in to shore power.
Was going to say, no way a single panel is 1200w.
GoPower supplies 190 watt panels on their store and that's what the Kodiak press releases specify as well.
The panel is rated at 190 watts.
What year is your kodiak?
2019
One panel is 1200W? Are you sure. The inverter may be 1200W but my guess is the panel is maybe 300 to 400W.
Solar panel is rated at 190 watts.
1200 w solar panel? Instead of my 18x330w solar panels on my roof (6.6kw solar system cost 2999$ aud) I could have gotten away with approximately 6 of your panels damn it
On the back of my house I have 2x190w solar running into 2x470amp/h agm batteries hooked up to be 24v
Then I have a 2kw Inverter
Did the company explain to you Adam about the efficiency of 24v over 12v and at least AGM batteries over lead acid?
Are the batteries at least deep cycle?
You will be lucky to start and boil an electric kettle
What is the start up power for your fridge
Before you go anywhere Adam that you will rely upon the system
PLEASE dry run everything at home without the genny or your shed power point
You have a big roof on that caravan.....
Please go and check out
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse
He is easy to understand and has a LOT OF good info on all things solar and batteries.
Tony from Western Australia 🇦🇺
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👀👀👀👋👋👋☕️☕️☕️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
zip strip those wires. also upgrade your batteries to Lithium.
I would think they're already Marine Deep Cycle but newer tech won't hurt ...
@@PhilG999 they didn't state that.
a lead acid battery is a lead acid battery no matter how it us made..
lithium battery will provide about 90% more amp hours than a lead acid battery will for the same space.
@@Fairchildflyer I guess I was thinking Optima Yellow tops that I've used for years. Running telescopes and laptops in a couple of my cars and so on. Have to look into Lithium's because one 2005 Grand Prix GT2 still has a GM OE battery (its second one) that has been in it for 11 years. ;)
Golf cart batteries are the best lead acid batteries. Hopefully that is what he has.
@@Fairchildflyer space isnt the main thing. its $ per amp hour
Wow, they make a 1200w single panel? 4:50
The panels is rated at 190 watts.
Stop deleting my comments wth what I'm saying is true I have built lots of these systems .
more like a 150 watt system. you can only dischage deep cycle lead acid batterys to like 70-50%max or you will damage them. plus that pannel is only 150 watts id bet. they are decieving on the 1200 rating thats just the inverter rating. i doubt its even te battery capacity what do you have 2 100ah deep cycles?
Hey Baloney, Calm down man! I made a mistake, it happens! No the panel is not rated at 1,200 watts. It is rated at 190watts though. I'm not an expert on electrical systems, I'm simply trying to share the mods and improvements we make. What's the point is trying to downgrade the system components of are particular solar kit? The lead acid batteries will work just fine for our needs and I am more then aware of the available upgrade using lithium iron batteries. Give someone a chance to even use the stuff before suggesting that the components will not work and the "you need to" comments are thrown around. I'll be adding the links to the kit in the video soon, I was trying to verify the correct kit before I do.
@@AbomAdventures👍🇺🇲